Fate is on my side
by Elvira Anna
Summary: Chae Robin was to marry Commander Lyle Tiberius Rourke, but an unfortunate series saw that the wedding had a deadly close. When it seemed that fate was against her, fate would have her arrive in the lost continent of Atlantis. How she got there is still a mystery, and landed her in the hopes, and arms of a hopeful princess.
1. Chapter 1: Arranged Marriage

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of Disney's Atlantis: A Lost Empire. The only character I do own is Chae Robin Lee.**

**Author's note: Ok this idea just came to me while watching the movie. (blush) Soo it's a Kida/OOC pairing and there ****_will_**** be scenes of femslash. Don't like it, do yourself a favor and save yourself time... don't read it. But I hope those who do read it will enjoy.**

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It was the eve of my wedding, me, Chae Robin Lee to Commander Lyle Tiberius Rourke. My parents were giving me away to a complete stranger I'd never met and the worst of it was, I had no say in the matter. My parents and his parents had apparently made the arrangement from when we first learned to walk. They'd said they knew he would have things going for him. It was to be two weeks before he went on some sort of expedition. If luck were on my side, he wouldn't return from this little expedition. He would strike it rich and forget all about me and my family. I knew the only reason his family married into my family was because we were rich, and they were flat broke. It was to be the wedding of the year, of course that year was 1914. My wedding dress was already all picked out, the venue sorted, a cruise ship too, the guests already invited and all I had to do was show up and look pretty. Oh, and say 'I do' to some stranger I had no clue about until yesterday. Oh yes, I'd only found out about this wedding yesterday. Silly me to think my parents would tell me things like this beforehand. I sighed in front of the dresser mirror, my rich copper hair all wrapped up in stockings. People would say my striking sky blue eyes went quite well with my speckled, heart shaped face. Some would even tell me I was a beautiful woman and the Commander was a lucky man. So, apparently, everyone else knew about this marriage save for me. I smiled at my reflection and a pixie nosed woman gave a lopsided smile back.

"Lord, give me strength." I pleaded to the marble roof, "Or so help me I'll poison this man in his sleep if he so much as looks at me the way he looks at that blonde. Helga, I think her name is."  
No doubt he had a thing for her, the way those two were looking at each other during the evening. My parents threw a huge party in honor of the wedding. Again, something I was only aware of the morning of the event. I grunted and retreated to bed, at least my dreams were my own.

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I was in the middle of all the hustle and bustle of the plans for the day. My hair fell about my face in perfect little ringlets, the wedding dress so white it would have been blinding had there not been silver embroidery on the bodice and lace gloves that reached up to my elbows to match. If I was going to be honest with myself, it didn't look like me at all. I looked too much like a young princess from the fairytales my mother used to read. However I rather felt like a damsel in distress, waiting for a prince to rescue me from all this nonsense. The cherry on top was the diamond, fairy-like circlet they placed on my head. Then I really looked like a fairytale princess. All the servants and so-called bridesmaids marveled in awe at the picture perfect bride. Some of these women I didn't know from a bar of soap, but they were daughters of my parents' friends. In all honesty the dress was too… wide, and they were going overboard with this wedding. Then again it was my parents, what did I expect? We all made our way to the cab and drove off to the docks. I had to admit that my stomach continued doing flip-flops on the way to the docks, and I was as nervous as any other bride would be on her wedding day. It made no sense to me because I didn't even _like_ this man.

The ceremony went according to plan and I had to resist the urge to cringe as the priest announced the groom could kiss me. I had to force myself to kiss this rugged man in front of all the rich wedding guests and they applauded the two of us. I forced a smile and walked to the reception hall on the ship, hand-in-hand with my new husband. I wished I could have leapt from the ship and swam back to shore before I ruined my life. But, the ship was too far out at sea and I would have drowned before I got anywhere near dry land. Ironically, dark clouds loomed up ahead and I'd hoped they would have to cut the reception short. The rest of the night was a series of acting like a newlywed couple, dishing out fake smiles and thanking guests for attending. I kept averting seeing the way that blonde had a devilish look in her eye, almost as if she were jealous. It sent shivers up and down my spine countless times over.  
"I need to get some air, I'll be right back." I stated.  
"Alright. But be careful, there's a storm waging outside, we wouldn't want the bride falling overboard." The Commander said with a smug look on his face.

I had to resist the urge to turn around and slap the man. Wipe that look clean off his face. Instead I kept calm and managed to dodge guests and made my way to the docks. There really was a downpour and the waves became vicious. I had half a mind to walk back inside but something stopped me, no, some_one_ stopped me. It was that jealous blonde of Lyle's. She looked deadly in her black number, and if you ask me it was a little too tight against her body. Her grin was far more chilling than the rain that soaked me to the bone.

"Well, if it isn't the blushing bride." Helga spoke, a hint of seduction in her words, "I don't believe we've officially met."

"W-what are you doing outside?" I stuttered, like an idiot.

"Oh, getting a breath of fresh air, just like yourself. I thought I may as well get acquainted with the woman, the man I have a thing for, just married."

"Take him then. I wanted no more to be married than he did." I hissed.  
Helga chuckled threateningly low and began advancing towards me, I had no choice but to back away until my back hit the steel plate railing. She had her body pressed right up against mine, a little too close for comfort. The odd thing was, the warmth of her body made me blush. Her grin became a smirk and she brushed soaking wet curls out of my face. It made my heart begin to race, and it seemed like she appeared to like it. I had to admit to myself that she was a good-looking woman. She had curves in all the right places, her blonde hair remained perfect even in the storm and her dark blue eyes saw right through my own. As if she were capturing my soul. Her scarlet nails scrapped lightly against my face, but the feeling was not unpleasant. It sent more shivers creeping down my spine, although not in a negative manner.  
"See I would, but there's one tiny little problem." She leaned in and whispered in my ear, "I can't have him if you're still alive. It's such a shame that someone of your, beauty, has to go to such a waste." She snickered, "I would have loved to try something so… pure."

Before I could respond, she had her hands around my waist and hoisted me up over the railing. I screamed in fear and grabbed onto a sleeve of her gown but it was not enough to stop me from plunging into the wild depths of the sea. I tried screaming for help, but the godforsaken dress was too heavy and kept pulling me under. The waves were fierce and it seemed like no one could hear me over the storm. The force of the current pulled me further under the water, and the weight of the gown didn't help much either. I was running out of energy and the ship was sailing farther away from my helpless form. So this was my happy ending? Drowning on my wedding day whilst some blonde, jealous strumpet lived happily ever after with my husband? I thought fate must be truly against me as waves, current and gown pulled me deeper into the depths of my death. Eventually I gave up fighting and allowed the waves to pull me under. Darkness took over my weak body, and I knew this was the end for me.


	2. Chapter 2: Paradise

I felt the faint beat of my heart, slowly beating against my chest. My head swam in circles, making me want to throw up the contents of my stomach. If there was anything _to_ throw up. It confused me as much as it would the next person. I was supposed to be dead, swallowed up by the sea. Maybe my body washed up on shore and my body restored itself somehow. I was not too sure how I'd managed to survive that storm but I had. I was both grateful and grieving. On one hand I wanted to die so that my life of misery was over, and on the other hand I didn't want to die so young. I opened my eyes and found myself in a kind of cave. I was freezing from the cold atmosphere and the damn dress clinging to my skin. I got up and was a bit unsteady on my feet. I had to use the cavern walls to keep myself up. I had to blink a couple times for my eyes to the very dim light of the cave. It was quite extensive for a cave, it looked like it continued going on with no end. I decided I would follow the path and see where it lead to, allowing my body to gather itself first. I continuously slipped and slided on the moshy ground. I was unable to get a good grip with the silver point heels I wore, to go with a now ruined wedding dress. I let out and exaggerated sigh and pulled them off, throwing them against the wall and alerting the dwellers in the cave of my existence. At least my bare feet had a better grip and I set off.

There were a lot of uphill slopes, narrow rock crossings I used as bridges, downhill slopes I had to be extra careful with and sharp edges I kept cutting my hands on. I was slowly beginning to tire and the cave's light lessened as I moved forward. I found a hollow with a fair enough perimeter around it for me to rest. I gathered up whatever twigs and other flammable objects I could, trying to spark up a fire with the smooth pebbles I'd found. It took longer than I'd expected but I started a small fire to keep warm. I ignored my growling stomach ages ago because I knew that there was nothing edible in the save. Unless, I wanted to dine on the occasional strange looking rat or two. The idea made me cringe where I sat. I hugged my knees to my chest and got as close to the minute fire as possible. My body was exhausted so falling asleep was almost instant.

I thought maybe it was all just a bad dream. Someone's idea of a sick joke and I was the punch line. But, as I opened my eyes, the cave walls hugged my weakening form. I had to choke back the tears that threatened to fall and got up again. I wanted to get farther than the day before, as far as I could manage without passing out or falling and injuring myself. To do this, I ripped the front of my wedding dress so my legs had more freedom of movement. The dress was already so ruined it didn't make much of a difference. It was up to her thighs in the front and still the same length at the back. That way I could still use it to cover myself if I needed to. I climbed, slid, crawled, balanced and walked my way through the never ending cave. I was beginning to think that it was not a cave at all. As far as I knew, caves had to have an end at some point. But I must have traveled for miles looking for it. This cave seemed to exceed expectations, just as a twenty-four year old woman who was both starving and possibly dehydrated. I eventually found flat ground where I could rest. I'd hoped that I _had_ gotten farther than the day before. I moved quicker than before and landed the flat ground before the cave got too dark. As if my luck had gotten better, I found a bush covered in pink berries one of the strange rats was nibbling on. I almost leapt onto the bush and filled my stomach with as much berries as I could. The bush had thorns the size of my fingers and it was as dry as fallen twigs. But somehow the bush existed in the middle of nowhere and I was truly grateful. The berries were so sweet I was afraid I would gain a sugar rush. However, they tasted of raspberries and cherries combined into one berry. I used the bush as base for a fire and used the pebbles I tied to my wrists with the material of the dress to spark one up. This fire was bigger than the last so I was beginning to master making a fire. With a full stomach and a warm fire, I allowed myself to sleep in content.

I woke later than usual, or so it felt, and tore off a layer of my dress. I used it to hold all the berries I could gather, leaving the rest to the animals that may need them. I smiled and went on my way, hoping that it would be the day I finally found the end of the cave. After more climbing, sliding, crawling, balancing and walking I could hear something following me. They were lurking in the darkness but my senses were on full alert. I moved faster and came to two different entrances to two more caves. My instincts warned me that the one on the left was the one to avoid. I took the one on the right, going with my gut feeling. There were no obstacles but, I could still hear there was something moving swiftly in the darkness behind me. I came to flat ground again, although it was still too early to rest, and found a glowing green light in the center of the cave. It gave off an eerie feeling but, it gave me light so I could see where I was going. There was a very thin rock bridge that went into another dark entrance I couldn't see the end of. I took in a deep breath and walked slowly across the bridge, careful where I placed my footing. Although, it could not hold my weight and I let out a helpless wail as the rock crumbled under my bare feet.

At least my landing was somewhat softer than I expected. I was covered in ash and I didn't like the look of the blackened walls. I threw up a stone as high as I could and as hard as I could. It seemed I was stronger than I thought because it just kept going, not coming down. I thought it was the way out until I heard it clang against something and landing a few feet from me. My shoulders sagged and I turned to continue on when I was stopped by a sharp end being held against me. There were a group of large masks standing with spears at the ready. I knew there would have to be wearers of the masks, and I'd hoped to whatever God there was that they were not cannibals. There were generally cannibals on islands that had caves. I couldn't find any other explanation for a cave to appear out of nowhere. They all spoke in a language that I couldn't understand, in frantic, hushed tones. As if they were discussing among themselves. I thought maybe I could prolong my life if I spoke to them.

"H-hello. I-I don't mean you any harm, I just washed up in this cave thing." I stuttered, like the goddamn weakling I was, "I don't know where I am. I washed up here somehow and I swear I didn't come here looking for anything."

One of the mask wearers took off the huge mask and revealed herself. I had to stop myself from staring at the tan, white haired beauty. Her baby blue eyes searched my own, as if looking for an answer I couldn't provide. She really was a beautiful woman, exotic looking too. Her bangs framed her face and her hair fell down to her waist, and reminded me of a white veil. She had dark, full lips that I found myself staring at. I blushed and looked down in fear of being caught. She wore a light blue wrap that matched her eyes to cover her essential bits. Her figure was every man's dream come to life. Not as evident as Helga's, her curves were more subtle. So one would call this woman beautiful, and not the vulgar names men gave women. I looked up to meet her face and found her examining me in the same manner. After they discovered I posed no threat, the woman spoke.

"Come with me, you look like a mess." She scolded.

Her accent was thick, not one I recognized. But I followed her and her company to wherever they were taking me. My heart leapt in joy at the sight of light up ahead and, soon enough, we were out of that dreadful cave. My eyes fell on what I would have described as heaven. It looked like an ancient city surrounded by a circular waterfall and the greenery was breath taking. The woman saw my blank stare and began to chuckle to herself. The others simply stood there on guard, as if I were some beast ready to turn on them at any moment. Although, I thought they'd discovered that I posed less threat than the strange rats. I felt a hand gently touch my shoulder. The beautiful woman gave me a warm smile.

"You are in Atlantis. It is beautiful, isn't it?"


	3. Chapter 3: The message

**Kida PoV**

I climbed the tall peaks of the palace walls, looking up to the sky and hoping _motem _could see me, better than I could see her. I'd never forgotten the day my mother disappeared. My father told me that the crystal chooses a host to protect itself and the people. That my mother was lost to us a long time ago. I refused to believe that and climbed higher every day to try to see her. I remembered when there were floating boulders that represented the past kings, but where were they? They no longer floated in the sky and her people were struggling. My father told me that the people were happy, but they didn't know any better. They were oblivious to the world crashing down around them, figuratively speaking. In myeight thousand years I watched as the situation worsened a little more each year. It broke my heart for the people, to see them struggle so much. It angered me that my father was so ignorant, worse than a child. As much as I loved him he would often creep under my skin. It was said that the Gods were jealous of Atlantis, and as punishment they sent a destructive talisman to the people. I refused to believe that the Gods would have anything against the people. I personally thought it was a warning to my father that the crystal was not to be used as an object of war. However, I never voiced my opinion to my father or anyone else. I truly did adore my father, but there were days I needed my _motem. _For example, the women had to explain to me what was happening when I was turning into a grown woman.

"Kida!" One of the guards called.

I rolled my eyes and climbed down to see what the guards wanted. Obviously my father requested my presence. I startled the guards by landing behind them, and I had to keep myself from smiling at them holding out their weapons. They straightened up again and the one that called me cleared his throat.  
"_The king requires your presence, princess_." He said in their mother tongue.

"_Of course, right away._" I stammered.

I followed the guards to the palace where they stopped at the entrance. I bowed in respect to my father and he dismissed the guards, thanking them. He beckoned for me to follow him and the two of us left his thrown room. I was confused because usually she would speak to me in the thrown room. It was only very important business we discussed when it was on our own. I wondered what could have been so important that my father hadn't wanted anyone else to know of. He seemed very on edge, or more excited is a better description. He looked humored that aeight thousand year old woman could not keep up with an old man three times her age. I refrained from rolling my eyes at this and simply followed him to a room with a single table in the center. My father pulled out two chairs, one next to another. I sat next to him and he held my hands in his own, frail hands. I frowned at the gesture as my father hadn't shown this kind of affection since I was a girl.

"_Kidagakash, there's been a sign… from the Gods." _He whispered, "_Someone to save the city from further destruction. Outsiders are coming to take away the crystal, they are a greedy breed of mortals. But there will be one, sent to us by the Gods, to stop them. A woman chosen by the Gods to save the city from the state it is now." _He sighed, letting go of my hands, "_I have noticed how our culture is dying, and soon it will be forgotten. My greed for power has brought us into this state. But, a single woman chosen by the Gods will help us out of this mess. She will preserve our ways of life."  
"Then I will find this woman, and bring her back to Atlantis." _I said, in confidence.

It was exciting to know that the Gods have not abandoned us, and that I would be the one to retrieve this woman. My father told me which cave it was that we would find her and we should leave as soon as dawn broke. There was chatter among the guards that they were to retrieve a Goddess. This woman was the gossip of the whole of Atlantis and the Atlanteans were just as excited as I was. Some of the children came to me and asked so many questions, I could hardly keep up with most of them. I chose to wear my aqua sarong, everyone said it went with the blue of my eyes. I could not wait for the dawn and it could not have come any sooner. I think the most amount of sleep I had gotten that night, was two hours. I woke the guards and we were off to the caves to find this woman. It would have been a miracle if she survived in those caves on her own, without anything to protect her. But the Gods sent her to us, so she must be a strong woman that exceeded with all odds against her. I kept picturing what she would look like in my mind. What she would sound like. Would she look anything like the Atlanteans? Would she be so magnificent that one could not gaze upon her without going blind? So many questions buzzed around in my head and it only made me move quicker.

Eventually, after nearly a day and a half, we found this woman. My heart beat against my chest, as we watched this woman make her way through the cave. I wanted to get closer to get a better look but the guards were wary. We followed her to a sleeping volcano, and it worried me that she would harm herself. She looked like something had dragged her through a waging war already. Her dress was torn up and she had dust all over, not to mention her hair looked like a lizard parrot's nest. I watched in horror as she tried to walk across a very thin rock path. It would never hold her weight and she crumbled down with the rocks. I panicked and ran as fast as I could to make sure she was still alive. I breathed a sigh of relief when we found her groaning and dusting off the ash from the volcano. She looked like prey that had been spotted by hunters, as we cautiously made our way towards her. I wanted to tell her there was nothing to be afraid of but, we were still wearing the masks. I could understand why she would be so frightened. I took off the mask and slowly stood before her.

"_Don't be afraid, we are not going to hurt you." _I cooed.

"_Princess, how do we know this is the one and not just another outsider?" _One of the guards queried.

_"She does not look like one the Gods would have chosen. My sister's newborn son would have seen more battle than she has." _Another stated.

"_Enough!" _I growled, _"Do you see any other women from the outside around here? No. So she must be the one." _

I looked to the cowering woman, frowning at the lot of us. She clearly could not understand the language we spoke. She started speaking herself, telling us how she meant no harm. She didn't know how she had gotten to our home, but we did. Her voice was so sweet I think if I listened to it for too long, my teeth would start decaying. Although, it was so soft and gentle that I wouldn't want to stop listening to her speak. It sounded like the voice of a beautiful Goddess, sweet and tender. However she did not look like a Goddess. I thought it was because she was covered in dirt, ash, her hair was a mess and her dress was all torn. I could not bring her to my father looking like that.

She seemed shocked that I could speak her language when I told her to follow the guards and I back to the city. The guards were still wary of her but it was not their say whether she was allowed in the city or not. That was the right of blood, and the Gods in that case. I had to chuckle at her response to the city. Clearly she wasn't from the heavens or she would have grown accustomed to seeing such splendor. This made the guards even more wary of their guest. I welcomed her to the city of Atlantis and took hold of her hand, pulling her behind me in excitement. I felt a sort of shock by touching her and it almost made me pull my hand away. I ignored it and pretended nothing strange had happened. The red haired woman must have felt it too because she gasped softly. There was no doubt in my mind then that this was the woman the Gods chose. The people stared in curiosity and in awe of this outsider. Then the gossiping began once again about how this was the woman the Gods sent to them. I wouldn't have them officially meeting her until she was fresh and clean.

"_Help this woman freshen up, would you?" _I asked my handmaids as soon as we got to the palace,_ "Be careful when you touch her though. She gives off a shock so that must mean they do not want us to touch her."_

The women were shocked and kept mumbling that they would be honored to help the one sent by the Gods. I was angered by the handmaids who chased me out of my own chambers to cleanse and dress her. It felt like hours that they were busy with her, although it must have only been one or two. Finally they opened the doors and giggled among themselves like ignorant children. I had to keep my jaw from dropping as soon as the fair woman stepped out from the crowd of giggling Atlantean women. She wore a traditional turquoise dress that had red Atlantean markings, two slits on either side that showed her thighs as she walked and a golden hem at the bottom. She had a single braid in her copper red hair and the rest flowed in perfect waves to the middle of her back. Now that she was cleaned, I could see her face perfectly well and she was a sight to see. She had the blue eyes of an Atlantean, but she was fair skinned and her hair was not the usual white color of her people. I was astonished by this woman's beauty and the way she held herself. I couldn't wait to present her to my father. 


	4. Chapter 4: Warning

I followed who they called princess Kida once again in my new attire. The handmaids painted odd things on my face. On my right cheek there were two vertical lines that resembled waves, and on my forehead there were three dots that made the shape of a triangle. Kida's tattoos resemble a dot and two curved lines on top of each other, just below her left eye. Mine were not tattoos, they were markings the handmaids simply painted on my face so I would fit in with everyone else. They commented on how the light blue of the paint reflected the sky blue of my eyes. The princess happened to like them because she must have stared me down for the past, six minutes, before beckoning for me to follow her. She took me to a place where an old man sat under a blue covering, looking out the entrance. She bowed before him and I gathered he was her father, and I bowed before him as well. He studied me the way most of the people here have been. I couldn't help but notice he seemed a bit disappointed. I didn't know what he was expecting. Hell, I didn't know if I was even expected at all. I felt like an outsider that hadn't belonged there. Starting to think Kida and the others should have just left me in the cave where they found me. He spoke in their language and Kida stood on her feet. She motioned for me to stand on my own two feet. I looked into the face of the king and he smiled back at me. I saw he was blind but knew it was rude to stare. Although, I couldn't help but notice he looked at me as if he knew me or, he could see right through me. It made me feel uneasy, it felt as if he could see in to my soul.

"So, new comer, you are the one sent to us by the Gods?" His voice boomed, with a sense of somewhat sensitivity, "Forgive me if I stare, you're just not what I expected. But it would be wrong of me to question their priority. You have our markings but you have red hair and fair skin."

"Oh, no, these aren't real." I stammered, "The handmaids painted these on my face so I would look like everyone else."

"Oh, would you like to have those markings done by our wiseman? They depict your story very well." He got up from his thrown, waving away anyone that rushed to help him, and made his way towards me, "The waves," he touched my cheek, "tell of your journey through the sea on your way to our city. The three dots," he touched each of them, "represent the divines. You came to us through the sea, sent by the Gods themselves."

I frowned in confusion, he was blind but he knew exactly where I was standing. He could not see but he touched the exact places of the markings on my face, and what I looked like. My confusion worsened when he told me I was sent by Gods. That I was heavensent. I was a very skeptical person and hardly believed in the Christian God. Science made more sense to me and my parents reprimanded me for it. They would say that scientists would find anything to prove that God hadn't existed. But, scientists had hard evidence, all they had was a book written thirty hundred years ago. I marveled over magicians and how they used science to master their illusions. They would have had to calculate every movement for the precise outcome, and trick the eye. It made me believe magic was possible when I was a child. But this? Gods sending someone to a people many thought were simply legends? That would have any scientist with sense laugh in my face and turn on their heel, not giving me a second glance. But, then again, I couldn't explain how exactly I'd managed to survive who knows how long in the sea without drowning. I should have died, no… I did die. My body went limp and my mind went blank. It could have been possible for me to have my soul pass through the eye of their deities, and return to Atlantis somehow. I had to fight the urge to cry and simply smiled back at the old man. Kida saw my watering eyes and quickly placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Are you alright, uh, what is your name?" Kida asked.

"Chae Robbin Lee, but just call me Chae, and yes I'm alright." I assured her, "That would be lovely, sir. But on a scale of one to ten, how much would it hurt?"

The old man laughed and placed a hand on my other shoulder, shaking his head. He told Kida to take me to their so-called wiseman to have the tattoo done before they ate. The princess bowed one last time in respect and smiled, taking my hand. I flinched from the electric shock that shot through my body whenever she touched me. She noticed the shocks too but said nothing about them, so I ignored them as well. The shock itself hadn't bothered me as much as the feeling it left behind. My stomach churned and it sent a warm buzz throughout my petite form. It also made my heart pound violently against my chest, leaving me slightly breathless. I had to watch my footing going down the stairs or I would have tumbled all the way down. The dizzying feeling was no help either. The people were friendly enough as they smiled and waved at the two of us. Some of them even walked up to us and welcomed me to their city. Most of them offered us what they were selling in their little market place. Princess Kida smiled and politely turned down their offers. The children laughed and ran towards us with broad smiles on their faces. They kept wanting to play with the Goddess and Kida told them I was tired, and would play with them tomorrow if I had time. I was no Goddess I could guarantee them that much. But I understood why they would think so. We came to this wiseman's home and he already knew we were coming. Of course, he was a shaman… at least that was what it looked like.

"So, you are the one sent by the Gods?" He quizzed, examining me.  
"I suppose so." I murmured.

His booming laugh caught me off guard and he pulled me towards a rock table, "We will sort those markings for you. Do not worry, it will not hurt if you do not want it to." He reassured me.

I wasn't too convinced but I trusted him enough to allow him to wipe away the paintwork the handmaids worked on, and lie me down on the table. He took out a bowl of light blue ink and a chisel-like tool. What scared me is that he next took out a small hammer. I gulped as he drew the lines on my face, and prayed to the apparent Gods that sent me there that I would not go through pain. Surprisingly enough, he chiseled away at my face and it felt like a small bee sting. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would have. He allowed me to look at it once he was done through a bowl of clear water. I peered into the water and found he changed them around a bit. The lines that represented waves were now horizontal and had a dot above and below the two lines. The three dots that were on my forehead were bigger than before. The light blue blended in with my fair skin. Mine did not stand out like it did against the Atlanteans' tan skin tone. The calm water began to turn to rough waves and an image swirled within the water. I had to blink a few times before the image came into focus. I gasped and my eyes widened as I saw Commander Lyle Tiberius Rourke. Him, a couple of others and that wretched blonde, Helga. They were on some sort of ship and they had a familiar wannabe scientist with them. I recognized him from somewhere, he looked like the poor guy that worked at the museum my uncle from my mother's side worked at. They always made fun of him and his theories of Atlantis's whereabouts. If only they could see he had been right all along. The image then began swirling again and changed to a different scene. I could see the Commander and Helga talking among themselves. They were talking about bringing back a strong power source that Atlantis possessed, and it would make them millions once they brought it back. It worried me because I knew greedy swines like him and his whore would not stop until they had it all. I whimpered and fell away from the bowl. Both Princess Kida and their shaman rushed to catch me.

"You saw something," the shaman whispered, "you saw what threatens us. This is what you must help us with. We do not know much about the outside world, but you do. This is what you have been sent to us for. I am here to help you unlock the gifts the Gods have given you, to help you save Atlantis."


	5. Chapter 5: Unlocking Gifts

It was decided that I would stay with their shaman and learn magic from him. I was to learn to be a Priestess of the crystal, whatever on earth that meant. But I had noticed that every one of the Atlanteans wore a glowing white-blue crystal around their necks. I wondered if those were the crystals they spoke of. I thought I would ask the shaman about it later. I had to stay focused and concentrate on what he was teaching. He gave me one of the crystals and it felt like the crystal had sprouted roots and attached itself to my heart. I had to take a deep breath to steady my heart and fill my lungs with air. Strangely enough, it felt like the crystal was suffocating me. I ate with Princess Kida and the rest of her people that night around a fire. I had to avoid all their stares and eat the food in peace. It was as if they hadn't seen a woman eat her food before. This humored me and I flicked some of the stuff onto a playful child. They laughed and squealed, flicking food back at me. Soon the people erupted into a food fight and dinner became a game. However, the elderly scowled upon the chaos and it came to an abrupt stop.

"On the outside, you are strong but on the inside, you have the heart of a child." Kida teased, "Promise me you will never lose that."

I grinned, threatening to flick the remaining food I had at her, "Of course! It's healthy to have a little fun now and then. If you're firm all the time people will think you have a stick up your rear end."

The princess burst into a fit of laughter. It startled most of the people and they smiled, unsure of what to make of it. Once everyone had done eating and returned to their homes the princess escorted me back to the shaman. We bid each other goodnight and, before she could turn and leave for her own home, I planted a peck on her cheek. The contact sent a shockwave through my body and I had to prevent flinching. Princess Kida simply smiled broadly and waved me goodnight. The wretched feeling of my stomach churning, and the usual dizziness that followed made me stumble around like a drunkard. The shaman simply chuckled to himself and bid me goodnight before going out to retrieve something. I fumbled with my bedding and flopped onto my side. It was tough having to sleep with a glowing light around your neck, but I had managed to gain a few hours of restful sleep.

I was wakened with a gentle shaking of my shoulders. I woke with a start, seeing the shaman so close. He apologized for startling me but we had work to do, if I were going to stop the Commander and his team from destroying the city. The sun hadn't even come up yet and we were walking about the streets. There was the occasional farmer getting their stands ready for the market. Other than that the people were still resting in their homes. I wished I was one of those people snuggling cozily in their beds. But I followed the determined shaman to a tall peak. I was not a tower but it was not a mountain either. It was somewhere in between. He sat cross legged on the one side once we got to the top, and motioned for me to sit on the other. I wasn't one to be afraid of heights so it was not too difficult a task for me.

"Do you know why I have woken you so early, Priestess?" He asked.

"N-no, I can't say I do." I mumbled.

"I wanted you to appreciate the sun as it rises. Hear the sound of the many creatures as the sun wakes them from their slumbers. Feel the light and warmth of the sun surround you. Taste the salt in the air from the ocean around us. Smell the freshly blooming flowers as they blossom in the sun's morning light. Close your eyes and clear your mind, taking in only your surroundings. See the wonder only through your mind's eye."

I closed my eyes and did as I was told. It was not too difficult to allow my mind to go blank due to the fact I had just woken up. I saw the sun rising above the city without opening my eyes. I felt the biting chill in the air disappear as the sun's heat began to warm up my body. I could smell the salty sea air as the soft wind caressed my hair. I calmed myself and remained completely still so the animals came out of their hiding places. I could hear all the different sounds of scurrying and flapping of all the different animals. The smell of rich scented flowers filled my nostrils, and I could picture the different flowers opening once the sun's light hit their petals. I could see all of this happening slowly with my eyes closed. It was the most amazing feeling I've ever experienced. I bet the scientist couldn't explain something that had to be felt within. No scientific theory could hope to explain something so wonderful. I pushed all other thoughts aside and focused on my surroundings. I became one with nature and felt myself rising from the ground. I panicked and fell to the ground with a horrible thud. The shaman exhaled heavily, shaking his head in disappointment.

"There was no need to be afraid, Priestess." He sighed.

"I-I'm sorry. I'm new to this." I apologized.

"You were simply levitating on nature's energy source. That and the energy source of the crystal can be very powerful." He explained, "Use it to your advantage. You are done for the morning, go and get yourself involved with the people. Come back here tonight for your second lesson."

I nodded and did what I was told. I thought it would only anger the man if I weren't obedient. The people saw me walking through the market and an elderly woman offered me a plump, red fruit. When I told her I had no money she'd said the Priestess of the Gods needn't have money, only respect. She smiled and put the fruit in my hands, walking back to her fruit and vegetable stand. The children swarmed around me and begged me to play with them the way I had the night before. I laughed and agreed to play with them for a few hours. I played all sorts of games with the children. Some kind of treasure hunt, hide and seek in the dark, a ball game they had to teach me how to play and finally watching clouds and making up funny shapes out of them. The parents were grateful that I'd kept their children busy while they worked. I stopped playing with the children once I saw the princess walking through the streets, looking for me. I bid them all goodbye and caught up to Princess Kida. I startled her by accident but she laughed it off.

"I repeat myself, you truly have the heart of a child." She quipped.

"They have much too much energy for me to keep up with." I snorted, "But they have so much to teach us than we know."

"I now see why the Gods have chosen you, Priestess Chae. You have a strong heart made of pure gold. Gold is both impenetrable and highly valuable."  
"This gold heart has been tarnished by a lot of greedy men, but these people are beginning to polish and make it shine again."

"I would like to help polish your heart and make it shine like the children do. Come, I have something to show you. I've found something from our city's past and would like you to see it."

Princess Kida lead me to a pond where she asked if I could swim. I gave her a sarcastic look in response. I traveled who knows how long in vast seas and oceans to land on Atlantis, and now she asks if I could swim! I had to prevent myself from staring as she removed her aqua sarong covering. She may as well have not been wearing anything with how small her under garments were. She smiled and waited for waited for me to throw off my dress and plunge into the cold water. I was hesitant to remove it but I couldn't swim in my dress. I stripped to my own black garments and left the dress hanging on a tree branch. If I hadn't known any better, I would say the Princess was staring at me just as I averted staring at her. I followed her into the depths of the pond. The water beneath was not too cold like I thought it would have been. We swam through old ruins that looked like it was once part of the city. The deeper we went the more ruins I had to prevent swimming into. We at last came to a pocket of air where we both caught our breath and moved on. She showed me a giant tablet that had had writing all around the edge. After her telling me about how she had found it looking for fish, we went back to the surface and it was already dark. I had to throw on my dress and run to get something to eat before meeting the shaman. I knew he would be angered at my tardiness.

I speed climbed the half tower-half mountain peak and rushed to the shaman. I was too breathless to utter an apology. He simply smiled and motioned to the stars, a ball of light filling his hands. He threw it up and it joined the rest of the sparkling stars in the night sky. The man kept amazing me every time I saw him. He gestured for me to sit next to him without taking his eyes off of the sky. I obeyed, sitting next to the old man.

"I am going to teach you how to create your own shining star, as the many priests before you and I." He whispered, "Everyone the Gods have accepted has made their mark on the heavens. Now it is your turn to make your mark. They will speak of the Priestess that saved Atlantis's light from burning out, for generations to come. But we must make sure your light itself does not burn out."


	6. Chapter 6: Love and uninvited guests

**Kida PoV**

The Priestess was in Atlantis for a few days, maybe less than a full week, and she was learning fairly quickly. My father was very pleased with her progress and he would ask the wiseman how she was fairing from time to time. He would visit her himself when he had enough strength and she continued to impress him. I myself enjoyed watching her learn our ways. She often asked the wiseman what the guardian stones were. He told her the stories of all the old kings and their reign. She loved spending time with the children and younger Atlanteans when she had the time. When she wasn't being tired out by the playful children, she would confide in me and tell me about all she had learnt. She even explained to me how the crystals preserved the people who wore them. She choked on her wine after I told her what my age is. She told me was a mere twenty-three. She hadn't reached a quarter of a century let alone millennia. She kept amusing me with everything she had said. The two of us became such close friends that we were almost inseparable. The only times we were not together was when the wiseman needed her for lessons, or when I needed to go hunting. The one day she actually asked me to join the hunt. I could not refuse her, and the guards were amused by how squeamish she'd been when they gutted the kill. She hadn't asked to go on another hunt with me since. That was three or so days ago if I remember correctly. Today would have been her sixth day in the city. She had learnt so much in those few days than most have learnt in centuries. She finally mastered making her own star, and requested that I be there tonight to watch her release it to join the others. I was delighted to watch her take such a big step with her magic. I thanked every God and Goddess there was that they had sent this woman. I had come to terms with the fact that I had fallen in love with the woman. Of course, everyone in the city fell in love with Chae. It was very difficult not to fall in love with her. But none of them loved her as much as I had. Night was falling and Chae would be releasing her star soon.

I fixed my princess outfit as much as possible and pinned my hair out of my face. I asked the handmaids to braid the berry blossoms into my hair. They queried what the occasion had been but I ignored their questions. I cleansed myself with the rose oil and set off for where she told me to meet her. It was the peak I would climb when I wanted to speak to my _mortem_. I wondered if she could see Chae releasing her star with the others. Thinking that if she were here, would she like Chae as much as everyone else had grown to like her so quickly? Chae told me that the meaning of her name meant 'tender-hearted' in Chinese. The named suited her very well because of her heart of gold. I found her sitting on her knees, looking up at all the stars twinkling before her. The moonlight reflected off of her fair skin, making her look all the more beautiful to me. She'd heard me approaching and smiled over her shoulder, looking back up to the stars. I moved to sit next to her under the stars. It made my heart dance when I saw such wonder in her eyes. I selfishly believed that she was sent by the Gods for me, and me alone.

"I asked the shaman not to worry about me tonight," she sang in that enchanting, honey sweet voice, "I wanted you to be the one to witness me taking my place among the others."

"The honour is all mine, Priestess Chae." I snickered.

She smiled warmly at me before making a circular shape with one hand over the other. I could tell she was concentrating hard on making the ball of profuse energy. She was adorable when her brow crinkled in concentration. I watched as a bright, yellow-white light formed in her soft hands. She closed her eyes and exhaled deeply, releasing her own star into the sky. The two of us watched it join its family in the sky. Her star shone brighter than all of the others. It twinkled with as much enthusiasm as the one who created it. I knew that when the people looked up to that star, they would know the story of Chae the saviour. They would praise that star and sing songs in her name the way the people used to in the past. My mother would tell me stories of all the old Priests and their greatness. It was said long time ago; the crystal was the Priest's gift to the king from the Gods themselves. But the Gods became jealous of the successful Atlanteans and sent a warning. But all of that no longer mattered because they were given Chae in return. She turned her eyes away from her creation to look at me.

"I never thought it would have been such a moving thing to do." She said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Now you have earned your place among the stars of our many great Priests." I teased.

"I don't think they would be too happy about a woman living with them."

I laughed, catching her chin in my finger and thumb, making her look at me, "They would be very lucky to have someone like you with them. Keeping them in line and showing them what it is to be a child again."

She blushed, smiling sheepishly back at me. My heart caught in my throat once I realized what position I'd gotten myself into. It began to race and pounded hard against my chest. With her magic I was afraid she might hear it. I had already gotten used to the electric shock she gave off. It was strange because no one else seemed to notice the shocking. They should have felt it every time she came into contact with them. But none of them felt it like I had. It was not a bad electric shock, it made me feel dizzy. It gave me butterflies in my stomach that fluttered around. I looked into those sky blue eyes and swallowed the lump in my throat. My mouth turned dry as I let my eyes fall to those rose red lips of hers. I licked my own lips and touched them gently against hers. I froze in place for a few split seconds, unsure how she would react. I started relaxing my tense form after realizing she was returning my kiss. It sent wonderful shivers down my spine when she placed a warm hand on my neck, and kissed me more deeply than before. My eyes began to flutter as I felt her tongue sneak past my lips and explore my mouth. I held onto her waist and pulled her closer to me. Her little soft hands travelled down to my chest, but we were rudely interrupted by the guards. She whimpered in protest as I got up and looked over the edge, searching for the guards. They saw me and beckoned me down. I rolled my eyes and climbed down, motioning for Chae to follow. Something told me they wanted her as well.

"Priestess, the outsiders have breached our protection." My father told her as we got to his throne room, "They are close by and almost near the city. I fear for the city."

"We should keep an eye on them. Make sure we decrease their numbers so that we have that advantage." She ordered the guards.

"Kidagakash, do as the Priestess says, but be careful." He warned me.

I nodded and gathered the guards that accompanied me to retrieve Chae. She followed us all the way to the caves where we first found her. She looked hesitant to let me go into the cave. She gave me pleading eyes that melted into my very soul. I would have told the guards to go search without me and stayed with her. I could have ignored my duties for a few selfish hours with the woman. The thought of indulging myself with her flustered me, but I could not. As much as I desired her lover's comfort, I could not allow these outsiders to slip by me. I brushed a hard kiss against her lips and left with the astonished guards trailing behind me. We'd found the new outsiders in the very same spot we'd found my beloved Chae. There were too many for us to go against but, one of the guards pointed out the firefly nest. I loaded a bow and shot one right through the nest. This distressed them and soon there were flames and explosions everywhere. The foolish outsiders drove themselves over the edge. To our advantage, however, their machines were damaged. We cornered a loan outsider but, there was something about him that stopped me from attacking him. I took off my mask and healed the cut on his chest with my crystal.

We took him with us outside the cave. There we ran into his comrades and the leader was dangerously close to my Chae. I didn't like the way him and a fair haired woman was looking at her. The Priestess was as pale as a pile of wheat flour. They scared the smaller woman and somehow it seemed as if she knew these outsiders. I ignored the rambles of the man with glass on his eyes. I waved him away to show that I was not interested at the moment. The guards noticed the tension as well and they were on high alert. I walked to stand between their leader and the Priestess, making her even more on edge. She would not look me in the eye and that worried me. I decided to speak to her in our mother tongue so the outsiders would not understand me. In her few days she had been here, she had picked up our language and spoke it with a thick accent.

"_Priestess, you know these people?" _I hissed, anger now filling every vein.

"_Yes. The Commander and the woman with the fair hair threw me into the sea during a waging storm."_ She whimpered, "_They are the ones who wanted me dead."_


End file.
